Locking device for caps or plugs



Sept. 15, 1925.

N. R. THIBERT LOCKING DEVICE FOR CAPS OR PLUGS Filed Feb. 25. 1924 Patented Sept. 15, 1925.

UNITED STATES.

NAPOLEON n. irnmnn'rjon WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS.

' LOCKING DEVIQE non CAPS on mines.

Application filed February 25, 1924. Serial No. 694,869.

To all whom it may concern." 7

Be it knownthat I, NAPOLEON R. THIBERT, a citizen of the United States, residing at VVorcester,- in the county. ofWVorcester and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Locking Device for Caps or Plugs, of which the following isa specifica-fe this surface. These pins are made integral.

tion.:

This invention relates to a devicefor pre venting the accidental removal of the cap orrplug of a-receptacle such'as ,agrease cupy."

The principal objects of the invention, are

to provide .a simple. and inexpensive construction for this purpose which will prei vent the/vibration of running machinery, particularly locomotives, from jarring. such a. cap or plugloose so that it maybe lost;.

to'provide meanswherebyrzthe application oi a wrench to the plugv or, cap will be prevented except when the device is unlocked,

the parts cannotbecome detached and lost..

.:Reference is to be had. to the accompanye ing drawings, inwhich" -T h Fig. lisf a plan .of ,alocking device according to this :invention applied to a grease cup orplugandshownpartly in section;

.Fig." 2 is a sectional View through the center of the same with the parts in locked position; and Q I Fig. 3" is a side view showing the position of the parts when unlocked. I

I have shown the invention as applied to a grease cuplOalthough it is applicable to any other receptacle. This is arrangedwith an inside thread for receiving a closing plug" i 11. Thisplug is made .in general in the usual way with a hexagonal or other noncircular head 12ffor the reception of the.

wrench for use in screwing it down to ,closed position.

,On .thetopof this head Ifplace a cap 13 having a cylindrical flange liextending down far enough sothat 'it.willjcover and. conceal the hex.nut 12 when it is lowered.-

This cap isprovidedwith'aplate 15 on top secured to the cap in any desired way and:

ing down through corresponding perfora tions provided in the nut 12. These perforations are made large enough so that these :nut.

sharpened andrslanted off at anangle, as indicated. These sharp edges are intended to engage the top edge of the grease cup on its inner corner. 'They slant outwardly and finished as desired.

pins can slide easily up and down on the The lower ends of these pins are upwardly-so as tosecure a positive grip on with the plate 15 so that the two pins and,

plate can be made out of a single piece of steel bent-up. to. the Shape. indicated and;

"The parts above described are connected by a locking bo1t 17, This bolt is provided with a cylindrical shank passing freely through holes in the center of the plate 15 and cap 13. On the bottom of 'the cap I provide a circular wire*19 ,eXte nding, into a,

' locked. The lower end of the-bolt is'headed over at 20 so' that the bolt cann-ot-bejwithdrawnfrom the plug. 7

Starting with the'parts in the shown in Fig.3 with the nut 12 screwed down the device is, locked by turning the bolt 17 by hand or wrench down as far as it-will'go, A strong man can turn it' down far enough so thatit will force thetwo pins 16 down into contact with the upper edges of the neck of the receptacle 10 enough to prevent the'dislodgment of the nut readily. But in order to lock it properly] a wrench has to be applied to it and the pins forced down until they actually cut into the edgeof the neck of the receptacle In that way the nut is positively locked and it cannot be disengaged by the application of'a wrench. If a wrench could be applied to the nut'12 a strong man could turn it possibly and scrape the pins; along the surface of the receptacle 10 or otherwise injure the parts."

It is to avoid this that the collar 14 is used.

It will be seen that'this covers so much of position.

the nut 12that it is practically impossible for an. unexperienced operator to applyaobstacle to the application of the wrench and the tightening up of the plug as much asdesired. 7

It will be observed that as the bolt 1-7,is turned, the cap 13 and associated parts 13 and 15 necessarily move up with itso that the nut is exposed as shown in this figure.

screw it, while the locking device is in op-- eration,yet,when;it is withdrawn the, nut is exposed so that the operator has full ad vantage 0t it. At the same time the parts 0t the device are permanently fi ed'together-so that they cannot become separated inany wayor lost and yet the cost of manufacture V is very low.

I; have shownjthisasapplied to a closing plug but of" course -a-Closing cap having an internal instead of anexternalscrew thread can be locked iniaccordance with the same principle. Although I have illustrated and; described only one form of the invention I am' aware of the fact that modifications can be made therein by any person skilled in the art without departing from the scope 'of" the invention as eX-- pressed in the claims. Therefore, I do not wish to be; limited to all the details of construction herein sho-wnanddescribed or to a plug having-an external screw'thread' but what I- do claim is 1. The combination with a screwthreaded head for closing-a receptacle or-the like, of; a; plate mounted thereon and having pins projecting through the top, ofsaid head and means for moving said pins longitudinally,

through said head forthe purpose of looking it against rotation.

2; The combination with a screw threaded head for closing a receptacle or the like, of-a plate mounted thereonandhaving pins projecting through the top of. said head, and means for moving saidpinslongitudinally through said head, said pins being sharpened on their extreme endsat an angle whereby when theyengagetheedge ot the upper end of the mouth of the receptacle they will prevent rotationoii-the heath 3.7 The combination with a screwthreaded head for closing a receptacle orthe' like, of a plate mounted thereon and having pins projecting; through the top of said head adapted to come into contact with the upper edge of the mouth of the receptacle,-means for moving saidpins longitudinally through said head for the purpose of looking it ag n t ret i n, and.means, for preventing the separation ofthe plate from the head.

4. In a device of-the character described, the combination with a receptacle closure havinga nonecircula-rlend by which it is adapted to be operated by a wrench, of a cap movably mounted oversaid end and havmg a flange adapted to conceal the noncircular surface to prevent application of the wrench, said cap having pins slidably projecting through the; closure, means for moving the cap and pins'in an: axial direcfor permanently preventing the detachment oi"? the cap fro-m theclosure; I r

5. In a dev'ce of he character; described, the combination with 1 av v closure for; areceptacle having a non-circular end by which it: is adapted to be ope-ratedcbya Wrench, of

having a'flan-ge adapted; to conceal the noncircular surfaces to prevent application of with the mouth of thereceptacle, andimeans formoving the'cap-and pins in an axial di-v rectionwith respect to: the-closure. I

v 6. In a device of the character described,

the combination with I a s crew, threaded closure-for themouth of a receptacle or the like said closure having a shape: at the top adaptingit-tobeoperated by a wrench and provided with a screw-threaded perforation at the center, of abolt: located in said screw threadediper-it'oration and adapted" to move up and down-in it, a cap over the top of the closure having a: non-threaded smooth perforation therethrough, whereby the bolt; can turn therein, means for causing the cap to move axially with the bolt and-a pair of pins projecting dow-n: from said cap through said closure.

7. Ina. device of the character: described, the combination with a screw threaded 010- sure'for the mouth of areceptacle or the like, said closure having a shapeat the top adaptingit toi be operated by a wrench to opposite; perforations:

180 tion with p respect-to the closure, and means 7 a cap movably mou-nted over -saidlend and .90 the wrench, said cap: having pins slidably projecting through the closure. into contact the combination with a screw threaded closure for the mouth of a receptacle or the like, said closure having a shape at the top adapting it to be operated by a wrench and provided with a screw threaded perforation at the center, of a bolt located in said screw threaded perforation and adapted to. move up and down in it, a cap over the top of the closure having a non-threaded smooth. perforation therethrough, wherebythe bolt can turn therein and provided with means for causing the cap to move axially with the bolt, and a pair of pins projecting down from said cap through said closure, said bolt being headed over within said closure to prevent its detachment-therefrom.

'9. In a receptacle cover, the combination with a head having a screw thread for connection with a receptacle and having a polygonal head, of a cap over the head, a plate fixed on the cap having integral pins projecting down through the cap, and means carried by the head for adjusting the cap to bring the pins into and out of action.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto afiixed my signature.

NAPOLEON R. THIBERT. 

